ronnie_suburban

Other than to say "thank you" and "wow," I'm essentially speechless. =R=

I seem to remember something too. In fact, there may be a thread around here somewhere. I'll see if I can find it. =R=

Hence, my initial posting... I suppose my "question" was more rhetorical than curiousity-driven... I know that Chicago and K.C. are without - but I wasn't sure on Minneapolis... and is Denver in our region? Oh, and St. Louis was an obvious NO. U.E. ← Colorado is part of our Southwest & Western States forum. =R=

Right now they are essentially the same because the pancetta isn't rolled until after it's cured. That said, the pancetta has been skinned, the bacon has not. bigwino, I am seeing results similar to yours -- and neither belly feels particularly firm yet. There's much more liquid in the bacon bag and the pancetta is nearly as dry as the day I started curing it, although there is some moisture. I'm going to smoke the bacon on Sunday, regardless of its firmness but I hope that by then it matches up a bit closer to the description in the book. In either case, I talked to my butcher today, told him what was going on and he thought that the Friday - next Saturday cure (with one day after for drying) would be totally adequate. I'll take the bacon out of its bag on Saturday afternoon and dry it until mid-day Sunday, when I fire up the smoker. I've taken a bunch of pics but I'm waiting until I have some finished product before I upload them all to the thread. =R=

Hey Jaymes, I don't disagree with you. I was just splitting hairs between the 2 types of events. The fests can certainly be fun but they can also be a relative drag. Let me elaborate . . . Taste of Chicago, which has been going strong for 25 years, started out as something truly fantastic -- an event where actual chefs served small bites of food which were actually also served at their restaurants. Pricing was low and portions were small enough that one could consume a large variety of tastes without filling up. Over the years, the bulk of noteable places faded away from Taste, personal care was replaced with assembly-line service and the smaller places bowed out because the permitting, staffing and other costs made it nearly impossible to participate without incurring substantial losses. I attended Taste of Chicago this past year and I had a really nice time. But I no longer consider it a to be a food event. It's a day in the park with my family during a time when some extraordinary food concessions are offered. There's certainly no reason why both categories can't co-exist. My question is why, in a city with the critical restaurant mass like Chicago's, is there no Restaurant Week or similar-type program? =R=

Oh, I don't disagree. If this dynamic of dietary political correctness exsists at all (and again, I'm not sure it does), it's purely a matter of distorted perception and not reality. I just remember someone saying, in reference to German food, "people just don't eat like that these days." I cannot remember the brilliant genius who said it. =R=

I think Mirabell is technically Austrian but still, their food is really great 9 times out of 10 and when I'm in the mood for German, it's often where I go. I also really enjoy Kuhn's in Deerbrook Mall (Deerfield). They have an very good cafe and a great deli. They produce their own corned beef and it is just outstanding. They've survived quite a bit of turmoil at the mall itself, so my guess is that their on solid ground. Come to think of it, their goulash soup is out of this world too! =R=

I don't subscribe to Saveur, so I can't really verify if the Costco Brithday Cake is actually listed at no. 25. Can someone find out, please? ← Aye, it's true . . . right there on page 7. =R= Edit to add: thanks, chezcheri, for the clarification, above.

Remember (in the words of the Frugal Gourmet) hot pan, cold oil . . . food won't stick. Add the oil right before you cook (after the pan has come to temperature) and the 'stickage' should be greatly reduced. =R=

I'm a few days ahead of you -- 2 bellies curing since last Friday evening -- one as bacon, one as pancetta. If all goes well, I'll be smoking the bacon belly over applewood this Sunday. I'm still trying to figure out exactly where I'm going to hang the pancetta. =R=

The book was hotly-debated primarily because of the author's (perceived) credibility issues. While it was an informative and mildly entertaining book, it was pretty poorly written. Required reading? Not even close in my personal opinion, though it does contain a few notable moments. =R=

I was just talking last night to a friend about Golden Ox and about how much we missed it. So many of the old-skool Chicago Germans have closed, although a few jewels remain. I've always considered their gradual fading away to be a function of dietary political correctness (so to speak) but I'm guessing that the actual reasons why they continue to fade away are more complex than that. =R=

Just as a reminder, Molto e posted some great pics of his meal at Schwa here: Chicago, Schwa, Prairie Grass Cafe, Butter =R=

Very cool but not quite the same in its nature as Restaurant Weeks, where participating restaurants offer variations of their regular menus, under their own roofs, at a special price point for a given period of time. At fests like Taste of <insert given city here>, food is served from booths or kiosks in one central location. Most places offer only a few items and many times, they're not even items which are served at the participating restaurants. For example, Taste of Chicago is often, jokingly referred to as Funnelcake Fest, etc. =R=

January 25, 2006... From today's Chicago Tribune - Good Eating section: Dumpling love...with Chinese New Year just ahead, Bill Daley goes inside the dumpling. Recipes are included. Ciao, sangiovese!...Bill Daley helps us get to know the grape behind Chianti . . . and Brunello. Tasting notes are included. Oil and vinegar are always on tap...Nancy Maes visits this new, niche shop at Old Orchard which specializes in, you guessed it, varietal olive oils. Horned melon...Bill Daley (again), with a useful guide. A beer in every pot...Jeff Boda reports on one of my favorite, seasonal activities: cooking with beer. And no, this does not necessarily mean cooking with a beer in hand Relatedly, Mr. Boda files his Beer of the Month feature with reviews of Ommegang Three Philosophers and Unibroue Trois Pistoles. Stir-frying puts some sizzle in a cook's repertoire...in his weekly Prep School installment, James P. DeWan turns his attention to Stir Fry, a technique which leverages those in several previous Prep School installments. ===== From today's Chicago Sun Times - Food section: Rhapsody chef out to inspire...Maureen Jenkins spends some time with Rhapsody's chef Doran Payne and learns how his upbringing on St. Lucia has influenced his cooking style. Dueling celebrations...Denise I. O'Neal previews Ben Pao's 10th anniversary celebration and Kaze Sushi's Unique Ingredient Dining Series, which debuts on Monday. ===== From today's Daily Herald - Food section: To market we go, for ready-made meals...food editor Deborah Pankey reports on some recent findings by the Institute of Food Technologists as well as Saveur magazine's recent nod to Costco. A smidgen of my plan 'B' culinary kit...Wiped out from the holidays, Annie Overboe unveils her "plan B." Food and wine classes...a comprehensive listing of upcoming area food events, tastings and classes; broken out by day. ===== In this week's installment of Chicago Magazine's Dish, Penny Pollack and Jeff Ruby report that plans for a revamping of Lake Point Tower's Cité have been scuttled, as chef Michael Dean Hazen has departed. (This information came to us via e-mail but should be available soon via the above link). ===== =R= <><><><><> Media Digest Notes... Updates from some Chicago media outlets, which do not 'go to press' on Wednesday mornings, will be edited into each week's post as they become available. Please do not reply on this thread. For discussion of any stories which are linked here, please feel free to start a new thread or contact the forum host or digester who will be happy to do it for you. <><><><><>

Adam, that is very cool! Add 2 more for me: Charcuterie and French Pork Cookery by Jane Grigson The Gourmet Cookbook edited by Ruth Reichl =R=

Great interview, Michael. I love how chef Bowles opened up to you. As much as I've read about him, your chat was filled with new information and insights. Thank you for posting the link and please keep us updated on future features which you believe may be of interest to us. =R=

I had an excellent and inspired meal at Schwa this weekend. We sat near the pass and watched chef and proprietor Michael Carlson as he led his crew in the kitchen. Even from our vantage point directly below the pass, the high level of organization in the kitchen was immediately apparent. The cooks moved like clockwork, repeatedly crossing through each other’s trails without collison. We could see stacks of mise -- neatly labeled and lined up in small plastic containers. Every once in a while, chef Carlson would look up from what he was doing, lean toward the pass, and ask a patron how something was or thank them for coming. When the occasion arose, he’d come out of the kitchen to serve a dish or grate the finishing touch atop of one. Schwa’s space itself is cozy -- in a minimalistic sort of way. It is essentially one relatively small, nearly-square room with the aforementioned pass and a doorway which connect it to the tiny kitchen. While the dining room itself borders on stark, the pale green paint on the walls provides a gently soothing vibe. And, in spite of the small space, the tables are not crammed on top of each other. There’s room to stretch one’s elbows and the chairs are plenty comfortable. The amuse was terrific; a ribbon-like carrot chip bejeweled with a tiny toasted cardamom marshmallow. This was served with a shooter of sweet, delicate carrot juice topped with delicious foam (sadly, I cannot remember how the foam was flavored). The transition from the street to the seat had been fast. As I savored the chewy finish of the carrot chip and felt it dissolve away in my mouth with the marshmallow, I forgot about the outside world and turned my attention to the promising menu and thoughts of what was to come. My first dish was a salad of white anchovy, granny smith apples, celeriac, celery and Manchego. I loved how the flavors and textures worked together in the salad. The sweet elements would have been compelling enough on their own but the pungent savory note of the anchovy kept pushing me forward; allowing me to experience some less familiar attributes of the other ingredients, which are foods which I eat with some frequency. This was as real door-opener. I also tasted the salad of red and golden beets, pickles (radishes, I think) and creamy goat cheese. I loved this salad too. I’m a big fan of beets and these were delectable. Their sweetness was foiled perfectly by the pickle and both elements were unified wonderfully by the smooth and creamy goat cheese. The plate itself, painted with a few delicious and colorful sauces, was stunningly prepared. The hits just kept on coming. The risotto with shrimp and sunchoke was an absolute clinic on how to make the dish. Every component was perfect, including the opiatic meyer lemon puree which flanked it. The risotto itself was perfectly creamy yet still possessed that tender “bite” which is all-too-often absent in a poorly-cooked rendition. This was nowhere near that category. The shrimp were tender and flavorful and the sunchoke was a sublime accompaniment for it. The depth of flavor here was amazing. I’d love to know the details about whatever stock(s) was used to make the risotto because it is rarely this delicious. Next up was a delicately-breaded, soft-boiled egg served with IL sturgeon caviar and potato puree. This was another compelling dish. The egg was, again, perfectly cooked. The potato puree was rich and buttery -- with a proper amount of salt -- and the caviar provided an excellent top note. Here, I wish that I’d had some bread to mop up because I find it almost painful to leave soft-cooked egg yolk on the plate. I tried the best I could to get it with my fork and was even considering using the tiny ceramic caviar spoon to scoop it up when I decided to let it go. Portions at Schwa are pretty big so I understand why there is no bread service. On the other hand, chef Carlson’s tremendous sauces had all 4 of us wishing, at various points throughout the meal, for a bit of bread to sop something or another up. Chef Carlson was kind enough to send out, for all 4 of us at the table, servings of his tremendous quail egg-filled ravioli. These were absolutely AMAZING. The ravioli were perfectly tender and filled with soft-cooked quail egg and ricotta. They were drizzled with brown butter and topped with grated parmigiana reggiano. Oh, and somewhere in there was a wonderfully pungent hit of truffle, which sent this dish from perfect to perfectly over the top. An intermezzo of raspberry puree and sunchoke custard came out next. This was nice. The raspberry was sweet and tangy and sparkled on the tongue. The custard muted the sweetness and set us up nicely for our main courses. My wife ordered the inventive Surf and Turf which consisted of tender, braised (?) veal cheek, a mammoth and perfectly seared scallop, brussel sprouts and shaved black truffle. The flavors were intense and the presentation was beautiful. It was enlightening tasting the truffles alongside the 2 distinctly different headliners on the plate. I loved this dish and could not decide which element of it was my favorite. I ordered the astonishing Pork belly which was a delicious study in pork. The thick slice of rolled belly was soft and caramelized on the inside and slightly crispy on the outside. Served with the belly were several soft slices of pork tenderloin cooked en sous vide, thin planks of crispy bacon, perfectly plumped golden raisins and chef’s home-made sauerkraut. The dish was served with an intense reduction-type sauce. This plate was, in my eyes, the best one of the night. Each component, right down to the raisins, was sensational. And what a treat it was to be served that distinctive home-made sauerkraut. I just love details like that. Thank you sir, may I have another? Pineapple upside-down cake with bananas, and shooter of ginger custard was as good as it sounds. Again, all the components worked together. The sweet bananas, tangy pineapple and tender cake created a synergy of their own and the creamy and aromatic custard tied it all together wonderfully. The perfectly chewy and fudgy brownie stuffed with crème fraiche and topped with pumpkin ice cream was stellar. Served alongside it was an intense schmear of pumpkin pie puree, a few salty toasted pumpkin seeds and a drizzle of pumpkin oil. What a tapestry of flavors and textures! I was surprised by how well all these components worked together. I’m not usually much of a pumpkin fan but we finished this off completely. Before we left, chef brought out what could best be described as miniature caramel apple orbs. These were small balls of crisp and tart granny smith apples, served on lollypop sticks and then coated with a sweet caramel crust which contained tiny bits of nuts. Popped into the mouth and eaten in one bite, these were the best caramel apples we’d experienced in a long time. The coating cracked like candy and the tart sweetness of the apple followed it perfectly. It reminded me, at least in spirit, of Grant’s now-retired PB&J amuse. Schwa was, in a word, excellent. There were countless moments throughout our meal which made it perfectly clear to us just how much care was being put into the preparation of our food. That’s what you get at a place like Schwa (not that I know of many others). The concepts are ambitious and inspired but they work primarily because of the care and passion being poured into the place. Everyone at Schwa from chef Carlson to sous chef Nathan Klingbail, to manager Britannie Weigel cares passionately about their work. And with a chef who has a culinary vision like chef Carlson’s, it’s easy to see why everyone at Schwa is so dedicated. Talent like his is extraordinary. In some circles, he’s already considered a star. It won’t be long before everyone in town (and beyond) knows who he is. =R= Schwa 1466 N. Ashland Avenue Chicago, IL 60622 773 252-1466

LOL! The Signature Room is great for adequate, slightly over-priced drinks and lousy for food. But yes, on a clear night, the view is tremendous and worth the trip. =R=

You are correct Alex. As hsm posted above, River North, Streeterville, Magnificent Mile and Gold Coast are all part of the same, relatively small, geographical area. For example, the distance between the W Lakeshore Tru is about a half mile, or 4 blocks and the distance between the W Lakeshore and Fox & Obel is about .6 miles. They're all adjacent to each other. Here's a link to an informative map: Chicago Maps and Neighborhood Guides =R=

I'm a big fan of Lou Mitchell's for breakfast, although I'll admit that I'm very much a traditionalist when it comes to breakfast. Never been to F&O's cafe for breakfast but the lunch I had there was fantastic. Lou Mitchell's Restaurant 565 W Jackson Blvd Chicago, IL 60661 (312) 939-3111 Fox and Obel Food Market & Cafe 401 E Illinois St Chicago, IL 60611 (312) 410-7301 As for bars, the ones at the Four Seasons and the Peninsula are both really great. But for more detailed information, I suggest checking out this site: The Chicago Bar Project by Sean Parnell =R=

I drove by the Berghoff today at around 12:15 and the line of folks waiting to get in stretched out the door and westward for the better part of a city block -- nearly all the way down to the corner of Adams and Dearborn. Yowza! =R=

This is confusing to me. Pancetta is not smoked but most bacon is. That said, I'm guessing the finished product will be delicious, regardless of which you use. From the description, this sounds like slices of fresh pork belly (neither cured nor smoked) with the skin removed but again, I'm not certain. I wish I could be of more help =R=

Welcome, Expressa, to the eGS. I think that your feelings about the food at the Berghoff are shared by plenty of folks. I have a few downtown-working friends who go there regularly, order from a culled group of reliable standards, and never venture beyond that for fear of disappointment. Unlike a lot of places we discuss here, this is one about which pretty much everyone in town has an opinion as well as his or her own personal history. When I talk to folks I continually pick up on a sense of restrained sadness. "No, I haven't been there in years but I remember when I first moved to town . . ." or "Man, I can't believe how much time I used to spend there at the bar" are the types of things I'm hearing quite a bit these days. =R=

If your butcher wags his head at you when you ask him for pork belly (skin on, ribs on, if possible), then he's not a real butcher. ← You said it, man. I didn't. ← My butcher asked me if I wanted them with the ribs still on. He's a good person! =R=